Method of engraving metallic surfaces for printing



Sept, 20, 1932. H -r 1,878,895

METHOD OF ENGRAVING METALLIC SURFACES FOR PRINTING Filed Sept. 29, 1930 E TO ATTORNEY Patent ed Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT WILHELM 0. P. SGHUTTE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK METHOD EN(BrIt'tAVI1\T(':r METALLIC SURFACES. FOR PBTNTING Application filed September 29, 1930. Serial No. 485,218.

sisting substance, such as asphaltum or its,

equivalent, and then 'by the use of a-planigraph or equivalent means removingthe acid resisting substance which an etching or biting of the exposed sur- .7 face is accomplished by an acid or mordant.

, sultin g This, together with the other methods now in vogue, entails a considerable expense refrom the amount of time and labor involved. It has also been observed that the ing process,

prints produced from the surfaces prepared under the present methods lack the same quality and detail as accomplished by the method which is hereinafter set forth.

It is, therefore, the present invention to accomplish by an etchthe engraving of metallic surfaces for printing purposes, by virtue of which prints of superior quality are obtained, while at the same time the method is simplified and the cost of engraving the designs is-materiallv reduced, as well as the length of time required to accomplish'the method.

More specifically, the invention resides in V a method of engravin textile printing roller I surfaces or the like by an etching process which includes the steps of outlining the desired design directly .on the periphery or the surface to be engraved and then'applying an acid resist to the roller periphery to develop the design by using the outline as a uide.

The invention furthermore resi es in a method which embodies the step of spraying by an air brush or other means, an acid resist directly onto the surface or periphery to develop a shaded design, either freehand of by the use of an outline guide directly applied to the surface or periphery.

to form a design, after general object of the The invention with more particularity lies in a method of engraving by an etching process, a surface to be employed for printing purposes which includes the steps of applying a stencil sheet in intimate contact with the periphery of a roller or with any other surface, together with the application of an acid resisting substance to the periphery or surface through the openings in the stencil,

in a manner essential to the development of the desired design.

The invention furthermore. resides in a. method of the character set forth which includes the spraying of an acid resisting substance on the uncovered portions of a surface 05 to be used for printing purposes, to develop a base which will subsequently print a uniform or shaded tint after the acid bite has engraved the surface exposed.

The invention has'for a further object, the 7 engraving of a surfacev for printing which includes the steps of alternately spraying an acid resisting substance on the surface and subjecting the surface to acid bites while r'emoving the acid and drying the surface between each operation to develop the desired desi As a still further object, the method covers the conceptive idea of successively applying a plurality of stencils, in and succeeding stencils are employed to cover previously uncovered portions of the sur face, together with the application of acid resisting substances through the openings of the stencils to develop the design desired.

With 'the above recited and other objects in view, reference is had to the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which one exaniple or embodiment of the invention has been disclosed by way-sf illustration, while the appended claimsdefine the actual scope of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary face view of a printing surface wlth a stencil applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a similar viewof the surface with the stencil removed after an acid resisting substance has been applied to the surwhich the second so face through the stencil openings and subsequent to the removal of the stencil- Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 illustrating the acid resisting substance applied completely around the design and with acid resisting substance uniformly sprayed on the exposed surface which defines the design.

Figure 4 is a View similar to Figure 3, with a second stencil applied having portions covering the previously uncovered portions of the surface, and illustrating the manner in which the sprayed exposed portions are intensified in certain areas to develop a shaded efiect.

Figure 5 is-a view similar to Figure 4, with the second stencil removed, and illustrating a further intensification of one of the sprayed portions covered by the second stencil.

Figure 6 is a view of the engraved surface after the acid bite and after the removal of the acid resisting substance.

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken approximately on the line 77 of- Figure 6.

In the method illustrated in the drawing, A designates the surface of a metallic roller or other object to be engraved, and B a stencil, either of celluloid or any'equivalent material, which is provided with the cut-out portions, C defining a design element D which is to be etched on the surface A. The stencil B is secured on the surface A so as to intimately contact therewith, any suitable means for plied through the opening C to the surface A and will appear as shown in Figure 2,

on the surface A when the st'encil is removed. The remainder of the surface A may then be covered'or filledin with the were not covered by the original stencil B.

The operator may then develop further intensified stippled portions J, as shown in Figure 4, with the acid resistingsubstance sprayed as indicated. At this point, it may be mentioned, however, that the use of the second stencil may be dispensed with where it is not desired and the intensified stippling may be accomplished without the use of the second stencil. It is also to be understood rsrasee that as many other stencils as desired may be used to develop the design in accordance with the desire of the operator. it is also apparent that as illustrated in Figure 5, one or more of the portions 1 covered by the second stencil G may be later developed as at K by the intensified stippling. After the design defining portion D has been developed in the manner illustrated in Figure 5, the

exposed portions of the surface A are subjected to an acid bite to etch or engrave the surface. The acid resisting substance is then removed from the surface A. and the etched or engraved design portion D will appear substantially as illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawing, the intensified stippled portions being of a lesser depth than the remaining stippled portions, to give the shaded effect on the print which is made from the roller or surface A.

Figure 7 clearly illustrates this effect, in which the deeper portions L represent the lighter stippled portions, while the shallower portions M represent the heavier stippled portions. When the surface A is subsequently inked, it is obvious that the deeper portions, L will print a deeper shade of the color, while the shallower portions M will print a lighter shade. While the method set forth illustrates intaglio engraving, it is clearly apparent that the stencil sheets may carry either'a positige or negative design, in which instance the ackground may be depressed with respect to an elevated design, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

It is also within the scope of the present invention to broadly employ the use of a sprayed acid resisting substance on the uncovered portions of a surface to be used for printing. purposes, in order to develop such a'surfaoe which will print either a uniform or shaded base tint.

The invention broadly provides amethod whichamong other steps includes those of outlining the desired design on the surface of a roller or its equivalent and directly applying, either by an air brush or otherwise,

an acid resisting substance to the surface to devglop the design by using the outline as a The invention further resides in amethod of engraving, by etching a printing surface by subjecting the exposed portions of the surface to a preliminary acid bite, removing said acid and drying the roller and then subsequently repeating the operation on the remaining exposed portions until the desired design is developed.

From the foregoing, it will thus be seen that a method of engraving metallic printing rollers or other equivalent metallic printing surfaces has been devised, which not only reduces the time and labor involved in en- I intense graying the same but materially reduces the expense incident to the production of engraved printing surfaces. It is also apparent that under this method, a plurality of rollers or surfaces may be engraved to obtain a subsequent accurate registry on the prints where multi-color work is involved.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the step of spraying an acid resisting substance onto the surface to vary the intensity of the sprayed resist for varying the depth of the acid bite to develop a shaded design.

2. A method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the step of spraying acid resist on port1ons of the surface to develop a uniformly shaded base tint.

3. A method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the steps of covering portions of the surface and spraying an acid resisting substance on the uncovered portions of the surface to develop a uniformly shaded base tint.

4t. A method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the steps of covering portions of the surface with an acid resist to define-by the uncovered portions thereof, a design, uniformly spraying the uncovered portions with an acid resist, subjecting said exposed portions to a preliminary acid bite, removing the acid, drying the surface and subsequently applying additional acid resist over a part of the exposed portions to intensify said part and then subjecting the exposed portions to an additional acid bite to develop a shaded design.

5. A. method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the steps of applying a stencil sheet in intimate contact with the surface,

uniformly spraying an acid resist onto'the surface through the openings in the stencil, removing the stencil and spraying acid resist to intensify portions covered by the sprayed acid resist.

6. A method of engraving process, a metallic surface for printing purposes, including the steps of applying a stencil sheet in intimate contact with the, surface, uniformly spraying an acid resist onto the surface through the openings in the stencil by an. etching and spraying acid resist to intensify portions covered by the sprayed acid resist.

7. A method of engraving by an etching process, a metallic surface to be used for printing reproductions therefrom, said method including the steps of partially covering by an acid resist said surface to define by the remaininguncovered portion a design and then spraylng an acld resist onto said uncov- Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 27th day of September A. id. 1930,

WHJHELH P,

ECHUTTE,

dti 

